Gary Thompson on the first 23 Bond films (click title for each movie's opening credits)

An obscure actor named Sean Connery, former body builder and soccer player, gets the lead in the first film adaptation of Ian Fleming’s spy novel series, made for less than $1 million. It grossed the then-considerable sum of $60 million and launched a franchise. It featured the famous gun-barrel opening shot, the twangy signature guitar riff, and Ursula Andress in a teeny weeny bikini.